Cut-off mechanism for straw making machines



Feb. 22, 1938. K. E. GARLING CUT-OFF MECHANISM FORM STRAW MAKING MACHINES v 2 Sheets-Sheet` l Filed July 21, 1932 im im fu Il if?" -BY *ATTORNEY Feb. 22, 1938. K. E. GARLING CUT-OFF MECHANISM FOR STRAW MAKING MACHINES Filed July 2l, 1932 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ar/ fa/@ BY K.,

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUT-OFF MECHANISM FOR STRAW MAKING MACHINES Karl E. Garling, Newark, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Berst- Forster-Dixeld Co., New

9 Claims.

l Figure 2 is a side edge View of the same.

Figure 3 is a detailed View on enlarged scale and in horizontal section showing a fragment of the tube referred to, the guide therefor, and the cutting arm and blade, the section being taken as on the line 3-3 in Figure 1, and the blade being disposed in its rst position prior to contact with the straw.

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the blade as having penetrated the straw.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the three positions of the cutting blade and supporting arm therefor, these positions being indicated by the numerals I to 3, respectively.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic View showing the position assumed by the blade and supporting arm as the blade is being returned to its initial position.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the blade and the supporting arm in its position to pass under the straw.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a certain cam shaped member for engagement by the blade for positively flexing the same.

The present mechanism is particularly designed to cut in desired lengths the spirally wound paper straw indicated in the drawings by the letter X.

'I'hese straws are manufactured by suitable mechanism and delivered through a guide tube I2. The tube I2 is xedly mounted in a standard I3, the termination tube being in line with the guide block I l which is likewise mounted on the standard I3. Against the block I4 there generally rests the cutting blade I5 when inactively disposed.

The blade I5 is constructed from very thin metal and of suitable length to increase the flexibility of the blade to offer as little resistance ,-0 as possible to the straws X as the same are continuously fed forward and particularly during the operation of the blade.

The dominant purpose of the mechanism is to sever the straws X by means of the exible blade I5 without mashing or otherwise injuring the severed end of the straw. This is contributed to by the'action of the spiral spring I6.

Thespring I6 is suitably anchored on some stationary element of the machine that the present mechanism is mounted upon. The free end of the spring is attached to the swinging arm I'I upon which the blade I5 is mounted. The blade I5 is held in position on the arm I1 by means of the clamp plate I 8 and the bolts I9. A pin 20 is extended from the plate I8 for the blade I5 to rest upon and to hold itin its service position. The swinging arm I'I is pivotally mounted upon the crank 2| set out from the gear wheel 22. In its normal position the swinging arm rests upon the block 23 on the Y standard I3.

To adjust the block 23, a couple of bolts `24 are provided in the operation of which the block 23 can be moved forward or allowed to retract. In this position shown by dotted lines in Figure 5 of the drawings, the spring I6 is in its most relaxed position. From this position it is moved by means of a semi-cylindrical stub 25 which is mounted on the gear wheel '26.

' The wheels 22 and 26 are meshed to move in unison and harmony. The wheel 22 is mounted on a shaft 2'I which is operatively connected with a power mechanism as will be seen by reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings. The stub 25 engages an oifset block 28 on the swinging arm II. As the wheel 26 rotates, the stub 25 is carried 01T from the position shown in Figure 7 to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 5, where the flat side of the stub is on the eveV of passing the inclined surface at the bottom of the block 28. Y

While the arm I 'I is being thus swung about its crank 2l, the said crank is moving from the position shown in broken and dotted lines in Figure 5 to the position shown in full lines in Figures 5, 6 and '7, with the result that the arm II and blade I5 carried thereby are lowered sothat the blade I5 is moved by the stub 25 under the straw X to the position shown by broken lines in Figure 5, and while the arm II is being thus moved by the stub 25 it is .simultaneously moved by the crank 2| from the position shown in Figure 7 to that shown by broken lines in Figure 5.

It will be noted that in the position shown by broken lines in Figure 5, the blade I5 has been elevated until the extremity thereof is horizontally in line with the straw X. It will also be noted that at .this moment the stub 25 is passing out of engagement with the latch block 28 so that the instant the said latch block is released, the spring I6 is permitted to move the arm I1 to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure or that where the arm I1 rests on the block 23.

In thus passing, the flexible blade I5 passes through the straw X to sever the same without interrupting the progress of the straw, since the blade is flexed by the pressure of the straw thereagainst.

with respect to the blade so as to obtain a slicing action upon the straw as distinguished from a direct chopping action. The cutting edge of the blade accordingly has a relative longitudinal movement with respect to the straw and as the straw is rotating with the side thereof toward the blade moving in the same direction as the slicing movement of the blade the cutting is more readily accomplished and more positively overcomes the tendency to pinch the tube upon first engagement of the blade with the tube. It may also be added that since the blade has a longitudinal movement with respect to the straw, the engagement of the straw against the blade progressively advances toward the free end of the blade with the simultaneous advancement of the straw toward the blade, as a consequence of which as greater Y llexing in the bladeis necessary to accommodate the further protrusion of the straw, engagement of the straw with the blade moves outwardly of the blade where greater flexing is permitted.

I n Figure 4 of the drawings is indicated the effect which the straw X has upon the blade I5 slightly bending or deflecting the same, a movement permitted by the high flexibility of the blade I5. It is to be noted that blade I5prior to being passed through the straw rests flatwise against block I4 so that any vibration which has previously been set up in the blade due to flexing, is dampened and stopped by the flatwise engagement against the said block.

In certain cases and to insure the flexing of the blade I5, I provide, as shown in Figure 8, a cam-shaped member 29 against the surface of which the blade I5 rests as it is drawn by the spring I6 through the straw. The face of the cam is pitched to accord with the advance of the straw X, when being delivered by the machine through the guide tube I2.

I claim:

1. A mechanism as characterized having a cutting member for severing a moving straw, said member comprising an elongated flat thin metal blade adapted to yield to the pressure of the straw in the direction of movement of said straw when passing through said straw, and means for moving said blade through said straw, said means embodying a spring-actuated latch-restrained member, and means for returning said blade to its restrained position, said means embodying a flattened member protruding into the path of said latch-restrained member, said flattened member being mounted upon and to move with a powerdriven wheel.

2. A mechanism as characterized having a cutting member for severing a moving straw, said member being adapted to yield in the direction of movement of said straw while passing through said straw, means for moving said blade through said straw, said means embodying a spring-actuated latch-restrained member, and means for returning said blade to its restrained position, said means embodying a pressure member to engage said latch-restrained member t0 111W@ Sam@ .t0 .iT/.S

It is also to be noted that the bladehas a motion partially in a longitudinal direction member being adapted to yield in the direction of the travel of said straw while passing through said straw, and means for operating said blade comprising a latch arm for holding said blade, a

spring adapted to draw said blade through said l straw, a gear wheel having a crank-like pivotal connection with said latch arm to elevate and lower the same to place said blade into and out of cutting relation to said straw, and a gear wheel to operatively engage the previously mentioned gear wheel and having an extension therefrom adapted to engage and disengage said latch arm to move the same to its initial position where the cutting blade is disposed to cut the straw when the latch arm. is released.

4. In a tube forming machine, the combination with means for continuously feeding a formed tube, of a cutter blade for severing the said tube, means for pivotally mounting the said blade, means for effecting two-dimensional orbital movement of the pivot of said mounting means, and means for eifecting a different two-dimensional orbital movement of the cutter blade.

5. A tube-forming machine comprising means for continuously feeding a formed tube, a flexible cutter blade mounted to traverse the path of said tube, and means for flexing said blade during the entire period of the blade crossing the path of the tube at a rate corresponding to the rate of feeding of the straw.

6. A tube-forming machine comprising means for continuously feeding a formed tube, a flexible cutter blade mounted to traverse the path of said tube, and a cam face engaged by said blade causing said blade to flex at a rate corresponding to the rateV of feeding of the tube while traversing the path of the tube.

7. In a cut-off mechanism for severing a conthe tube perpendicular to the axis of the tube and said cutter having a greater length than width and providing a longitudinal cutting edge which traverses the path of the tube with a slicing motion with respect to the tube, said cutter being thin and readily flexed transverse to its length, whereby the portion of the cutter in contact with the tube while cutting the same will be carried forward with the tube by flexing the blade.

8. In a cut-off mechanism for severing a continuously forwardly fed substantially rigid tube, a cutter having an orbital path of movement across the path of the tube perpendicular to the axis of the tube, said cutter traversing at high speed in one portion of its orbital path the path of movement of the tube with a slicing motion by which the cutting edge of said cutter has a longitudinal movement as it crosses the path of movement of the tube and flexes entirely across itself under pressure of the advancing action of the tube thereagainst without distorting or buckling the tube.

9. In a tube forming machine, the combination with means for continuously feeding'a formed tube, of a cutter blade having a greater length than width, said blade being movable transversely in its own plane perpendicular to the axis of the tube With a component of movement longitudinally of its cutting edge and in the direction of movement of the side of the straw toward said cutting edge, said blade being momentarily flexible for its entire Width longitudinally with respect to the path of movement of the tube, said blade ing the blade during simultaneous movement of 5 both the tube and blade.

KARL E. GARLING. 

